David Shields: 'The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead'
b'In his acclaimed new book, Shields begins with the facts of birth and childhood then expertly weaves in anecdotal information about himself and his father. Shields is the award-winning author of eight previous books, including "Black Planet: Facing Race During an NBA Season" and "Dead Languages: A Novel." His stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Harper\'s, Salon, Slate, among others.'